Clothes-pin.



J. -B. ANDERSON.

CLOTHES PIN.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 21, 1908.

Patented Mar. 9, 1909.

FIGnI.

FIG.2.

' VEN'IOR WITNESSES:

' HIS ATTORNEY YHE NOREIS PETERS cm, wumzvarom UNITED STATES PATENT OFFTQE.

JAMES B. ANDERSON, OF SHALER TOWNSHIP, ALLEGHENY COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD TO LOUIS H. STEITZ AND ONE-THIRD TO JOSEPH E. BAINES, OF ALLEGHENY COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

CLOTHES-PIN.

To all whom it may'concem:

Be it known that I, JAMES B. ANDERSON, a citizen of the United States, and residing in the township of Shaler, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented or discovered new and useful Improvements in Clothes-Pins, of which the following is a specification.

My invention consists of a new and improved clothes pin made of wire, or similar material, of sufficient spring or resiliency to clamp garments onto a clothes line or rope. The material of the pin is bent up so as to present a pair of opposing gripping faces adapted to engage the garment and line and a second pair of opposing gripping faces adapted to engage the garment below the line. The construction of the pin is such that when the upper gripping faces are spread apart by the line, the lower gripping faces are pressed together, so that the tighter the pin grips the line, the tighter it grips the garment below the line. If desired, I may corrugate the upper gripping faces so that they obtain a more secure hold upon the line. When the pin is not in position holding garments on a line, the upper opposing gripping faces are referably substantially parallel and the ower opposing gripping faces somewhat spaced apart, the wire at the lower extremities of the said faces being preferably curved outwardly to facilitate the entrance of the clothes line between the same.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective showing my pin in place, holding a garment upon a clothes line; Fig. 2 is an enlarged elevation of the pin when not in use; Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing a modification, and Fig. 4 is a similar view showing the modified form of pin in use.

The following is a detailed description of the drawings.

The material of the pin is bent to form a central loop 1 whose sides, 22, extend downwardly and are, preferably, substantially parallel when the pin is not in use. At the lower extremities of said portions 22, the material is bent outwardly and upwardly in loops 33 followed by upwardly extending portions 4& ending in top loops 5-5 which cross carrying the material in each case over to the other side of the pin.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 21, 1908.

Patented March 9, 1909.

Serial No. 444,573.

The material is then brought downwardly, forming clamping legs 66, intended to grip the garment below the clothes line. The extremities of said legs 6 6 are preferably inwardly inclined but when the pin is not in use, said legs are preferably separated slightly, the ends 77 of the material of the pin being bent in outward curves to facilitate the entrance of the clothes line between the said legs.

The modification shown in Figs. 3 and 4 illustrates the same principles as the form of pin shown in Figs. 1 and 2, but the loops are formed more compactly, improving the appearance and increasing the compressive action when the pin is in use.

The use of my pin is as follows. The garment 8 is suspended on the clothes line 9 in the usual manner, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4, and the pin is pressed down over the same. The curved ends 7 7 of the legs 6-6 enable the line to enter between said legs 66 without impediment. As the pin is pressed further down, the line 9 enters between opposing faces 22 of the pin forcing the lower extremities of said faces 2-2 apart and forming the same in connection with the loop 1 into a wedged shaped spring gripping device. If desired the faces 22 may be corrugated or other wise roughened, as shown in Fig. 1, thus increasing the gripping power of faces 22. However, the spring action of the pin will serve to clasp the line firmly. The construction of the pin is such that the wider apart the free ends of the faces 2-2 are forced, the more closely together are the legs 66 forced, owing to the fact that the material of the pin is crossed over from one side of the pin to the other in loops 5-5. The loops 33 facilitate the entrance of the line 9 between the gripping faces 22. The pin may readily be re moved by a slight upward pull with the fingers.

The advantages of my novel construction are self evident. The pin is provided with two independent gripping devices, one gripping the garment and the line at one and the same time and the other gripping the garment below the line, and so arranged that increased pressure exerted on one gripping device likewise increases the grip ofthe other device. One of the objections to the present forms of clothes pins is that while, under normal conditions, to a degree they are successful in securing the garments to the line, in case of a Wind the garments creep or move on the line or the pins becomeloosened and drop off. The grip of my pin is so secure that creeping of the pin or clothes is eliminated and the flapping of the clothes has no loosening efi'ect. Indeed the clothes on the line may turn completely over without loosening the pin or causing the clothes to fall off. This is not true of the forms of clothes pin now in use or known.

To prevent staining the garments by the metal of the pin, I may make the same either of material which will not stain, such as brass, or galvanize the iron or steel of which the in is made.

, though for the sake of clearness I have minutely described the accompan ing drawings, I do not wish to limit myself thereby, but claim broadly legs and a pair of loops connecting said cen tral loop with said legs, whereby when said central oop is expanded said legs are compressed together.

2. Aclothes pin made by bending up a length of wire to form, first, a central clothes line gripping loop, then, bending the ends of said wire to form a pair of'loops to cross said ends, respectively, to the opposite sides of the pin, and, third,forming the ends of said wire into garment gripping fingers depending below said central loop.

Signed at Pittsburg, Penna, this 18th day of July, 1908.

7 JAMES B. ANDERSON. Witnesses EDWARD A. LAWRENCE, JANE A. MOPARLAND. 

